Parliament approves bill to replace State Inspector's Service with two new agencies
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The Georgian parliament has approved a bill to replace the State Inspector's Service with a Special Investigation Service and Personal Data Protection Service in March 2022.
Eighty-one MPs supported the amendments proposed by ruling Georgian Dream party MPs in its third and final reading in the 150-member legislative body.
The State Inspector's Service and position will be abolished in March 2022, while two new state agencies - a Special Investigation Service and Personal Data Protection Service will be established to investigate offences committed by authorities and to monitor personal data processing, respectively.
Ruling party MPs explained that the 120 employees of the State Inspector's Service will not lose their jobs and will be allocated to the newly established agencies.
Thanks to our western partners for supporting Georgia and even for expressing their critical opinions. Strong and independent state institutions represent Georgia's integration way towards European and Euro-Atlantic structures. Georgian Dream will continue building and developing independent state institutions, said ruling party MP Rati Ionatamishvili.
State Inspector Londa Toloraia said that the parliament 'abolished' the State Inspector's Service 'prematurely' and expressed her hope that the Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili will veto the bill.
I remind the members of the Parliament who supported this decision today - supervisory authorities are not formed for an unconditional obedience to every decision of the Government... I do hope she [the president] will veto this law. This legal fight has not been finished, Toloraia told the press.
The Georgian parliament adopted the law on the State Inspector’s Service on July 21, 2018, while the Service began operating on November 1, 2019.
Foreign dignitaries have expressed their concern over a bill proposed by ruling Georgian Dream party MPs to replace the State Inspector's Service with a Special Investigation Service and Personal Data Protection Service.
Acting Head of the EU Delegation to Georgia Asuncion Sanchez Ruiz has said that 'abolishing' the State Inspector's Service 'bears high risks' for the country's democracy.
US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan has stated that ‘there is no need to rush’ with adopting a bill proposing to replace the State Inspector's Service with two new agencies, calling on the Georgian parliament to slow down the process.
Ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party MP Mamuka Mdinaradze has stated that the GD has proposed splitting the State Inspector’s Service into two agencies because the investigative and personal data protection functions are ‘not compatible with each other.’
The United Nations Human Rights office has called on the ruling Georgian Dream party to withdraw a bill proposing to replace the State Inspector's Service with two new agencies.
A total of 17 NGOs have called on the Georgian government to ‘stop attacks on independent institutions’ following Georgian majoritarian MPs’ proposal to replace the State Inspector's Service, which investigates alleged offences committed by state officials and law enforcement agencies, with the Special Investigation and Personal Data Protection services.
Georgian majoritarian MPs have put forward a new bill which proposes replacing the State Inspector's Service with Special Investigation and Personal Data Protection services.
The United States Embassy to Georgia has denounced hasty legislative amendments proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, stating that the replacement of the State Inspector’s Service with two new agencies ‘undermined government accountability.’
Ruling Georgian Dream party Head Irakli Kobakhidze has stated that the US Embassy’s statement, which criticises GD for the abolition of the State Inspector’s Service, ‘shakes the confidence of the Georgian public in western partners.'
Several NGOs have released a statement earlier today calling on Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili to veto a law adopted by the parliament on December 30 which replaces the State Inspector’s Service with two new agencies.
Georgian State Inspector Londa Toloraia has said that she will appeal against a recently approved bill to replace the State Inspector's Service with two new agencies to the Constitutional Court of Georgia and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
The United Nations Country Team in Georgia has expressed its concern over the government's abolition of the State Inspector’s Service, following the signing of the controversial bill by president Salome Zurabishvili on Thursday.
US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan has said that she shares Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili's concerns about a bill to replace the State Inspector's Service with two new agencies, noting that Georgia needs the experience of 'impartial professionals' like the State Inspector.
The first sessions of election commissions of candidates for the chairmanship of two new agencies: Special Investigation and Personal Data Protection services, replacing the State Inspector’s Service will be held today, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced earlier today.
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili on Monday opened the first session of the selection commissions for picking chairpersons of the Special Investigation Service and Personal Data Protection Service, two agencies set to replace the outgoing State Inspector’s Service starting in March.
Georgian State Inspector Londa Toloraia has appealed the law abolishing the State Inspector’s Service and replacing it with two new agencies in Georgia’s Constitutional Court. Toloraia said her appeal requested an “immediate suspension” of the law before the court delivers its final decision on the case.
The Committee on Legal Affairs of the Parliament of Georgia has expressed support for Emzar Gagnidze and Karlo Katsitadze, two candidates presented for the position of the Head of the Special Investigation Service by the prime minister, paving the way for the legislative body’s voting on their nomination.
The suspension of MP status for three opposition members arguably reduces pluralism and inclusiveness in the Georgian parliament, European Union Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell said on Wednesday in response to the decision passed by the legislative body.
The Personal Data Protection Service of Georgia has warned the public to refrain from opening email links from a sender reported this week to be collecting personal information by inserting spyware or malware into user devices.